This is a critical time for us as a people and as the demographics have shifted with other ethnic groups increasing in numbers, we need to let our voices be heard, now more than ever.

That could not have been more evident than with this week’s election in the 55th Assembly where Mike Gipson lost to Warren Furutani by 1,595 votes.

This was a seat that we’ve had a stronghold on for many years and it was left vacant when our sister Laura Richardson was elected to Congress.

What cost our brother Mike was that not enough Blacks got out and exercised their rights at the ballot box.

Regardless of what numbers may indicate, the voting power of Black people is still quite strong on all fronts and it will also play a very vital role in electing the next president of the United States.

We cannot afford to take our right to get out and vote for granted for fear that our voices will not be heard and our missions as Black citizens will not be carried out.

If each of us does not get out and use the voting power vested in us then we will not have anyone to blame but ourselves.

As parents of young adults who are 18 years of age or older we have a responsibility to inform them on how important it is for them to get out and vote and to encourage their friends to do the same.

Our stake in this process is much too great to not fight to protect it, and the weapon that we have at our disposal is going to that ballot box and punching in the candidate who represents our interests.

Whether it is a special election, primary or what, we need to stay focused and not become distracted by Christmas shopping to the extent that we forget to make our presence felt.

Mike is a good man and would have been a fine representative of us in the 55th Assembly and somewhere along the line we did not do our fair share to make it to the ballot box to elect him.

The voter turnout was low—about 10 percent—which means a lot of us did not make it to the polls.

Let us not rest on our laurels and be satisfied, we must continue to push for excellence and make sure that we vote and vote for the individual who best represents us!

So, now more than ever, I really want to hear from you. I want to know that you think about what I have been writing about. I want to know what you think about the stories we tell, and I want to know what things we need to cover in the future. I really do want to hear from you. I really want you to Talk To Danny.